Case for cigarettes or the like.



W. E. EDWARDS.

CASE FOR CIGARETTE-IS OR THE LIKE. APPLICATION rl'uso JUNE 27.1914.

1 1 8?,5 1 3. Patented J1me 20, 1916.

WI N58858:

I a citizen of the United States, and a resi- I STATES r 1 WILLIAM E. EDWARDS, OF IB'VINGION, JERSEY, A$SIGNOR BEBTRAND L. PBEMO, OF IRVINGTON, NEW

10F ONE-HALF 1'0 E8 on ran 1.1m

' a me new m n Patented June so, 191a.

Application as June 27, 1914; sem no. sense.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM nllnwms,

dent of Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cases for Cigarettes or the like, of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention re ates to that class ofv cases which are made up in silver and other suitable or ornamental materials to hold cigarettes and be carried in the smokers pocket.

The objects of the invention'are to provide an improved case of this character; to hold a supporting rack centrally between the hinged body portions and resiliently retain cigarettes upon the supporting plate,

both by the same springs; to provide means I for holding the rack centrally which can be employed to hold cards or the like in the body portions of the case; to secure-simplicit of construction and operation, without liability to get out of order; or break, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, in which like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved case showing the same open and one of the retaining arms of the supporting rack drawn back; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line A-A of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line B-B of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a casing of any desired configuration adapted to the purpose, preferably comprising body portions 2 and 3 hinged to each other as at 4 and adapted to close together as is usual. It is to be understood that the said body portions provide bezels 5, 6, respectively, adapted to meet and engage when the case is closed and that the portions are dished or hollowed away from each other to provide an interior chamber. Means are also preferably provided, such as a spring catch 7 at the end of one of the body portions away from the hinge adapted to engage the other portion, to hold the two together until manually released.

Within the chamber formed by the hinged body port1ons'2, 3 is a supporting rack 8 having means such as tongues 9, 9 at one end to pivotally mount it upon the line of hlngmg of the two body portions, preferably upon-the same hinge pin. I have shown th1s rack consisting of a plate 10 and upon opposite faces of this plate are hinged retalnlng arms" 11, 11 for resiliently engaglng cigarettes or the like and holding them by pressing them toward the said plate 10.

Preferably said retaining arms are pivotednear the bottom or pivoted edge of the plate 10 parallel to'the line of hinging thereof, and this hinging I have shown elfected by a hinge pm 12 supported by bosses 13, 13 near the opposite side edges of the middle late 10 for each of the retaining arms. The

ovver edge of each of the retainin arms recelves this hinge pin, said edge dieing cut away centrally so as to expose the middle portion of the hinge pin, and upon this exposed portion of each hinge pin is a helical spring 14 the end of which engages the arm to normally force it toward thesupporting plate 10. The other end of this spring 14 presses against the adjacent body portion and thus tends to force the supporting rack away from that body portion. Inasmuch as there is another spring acting in the same manner upon the other body portion of the case, the supporting rack will obviously assume a central position between said body portion at all times.

In order to form a neat and efiici'ent contact between the springs 14 and body portions, I pivot a lever 15 upon each of the hinge pins 12, said lever extending longitudinally of the casing and bearing against a middle portion thereof. The spring 14 engages this lever 15 at its inner .end, as shown, and normally holds the body portions open, so that when the catch 7 is released the body portions open apart .into' ing arms against the middle plate 10 of the 1 of the supporting plate so as to engage all the cigarettes upon said plate, and obviously these retaining armsmay be of any suitable length in the other direction. The supporting plate itself preferably has at its side edges transverse strips 16, 16 secured thereto so as to form flanges at both sides of the plate which serve as stops for the cigarettes. It will; also be understood that the plate 10 and arms 11 can be made of any suitable configuration, and although I have shown them cut into ornamental open work, this is not essential to .the invention. p

The levers 15 afford convenient retainers for cards, photographs or small memorandum slips which it may be desired to slip beneath them so as to be held flat against the inner surface of the body portions.

Other detail modifications may be made in. manufacturing my improved case without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is I i 1. In a case of the character described, hinged body portions adapted to close to- :gether and open apart, a supporting rack pivoted between said body portions on the line of hinging thereof, members hinged to opposlte sides of said supporting rack adjacent to its pivoting to the body ortions and adapted to engage the said he y portions,

and springs on the hinge pins of said members for normally forcing them against the body pot-tions..

2. In a case of the character described, hinged body portions adapted to close together and open apart, a supporting rack pivoted between said body portions on the line of hinging thereof, levers hinged at their inner ends to said supporting rack adjacent to its pivoting to the body portions,

and springs on the hinge pins of said levers for normally forcing their outer ends against the body portions.

3. In a case of hinged body portions adapted to close together and open apart, a pivoted supporting :rack adapted to be inclosed by said body portions, levers carried by said supporting rack engaging said body portions at a distance from their hinging, and springspressing against said levers and normally holding said supporting rack centrally between said body portions.

4. In a case of the character described, hinged body portions adapted to close together and open apart, a supporting rack pivoted between said body portions on the the character described,

one of thebody portions and the adjacent retaining arm, whereby the said springs serve both to close the retaining arms toward the supporting rack and to hold the su porting rack centrally between the b0 y portions.

5. In a case of the character desc ribed,

hinged body portions adapted to close together and open apart, a pivoted supporting rack having a plate between said body portions, retaining arms on opposite sides of said supporting plate, and means at opposite sides of the supporting rack each resiliently pressing against one of the body portions and the adjacent retaining arm, whereby the said means operate both to close the retaining arms toward the supporting rack and to hold the supporting rack centrally between the body portions.

6. In a case of the character described, hinged body portions adapted to close together and open apart, a hinged supporting rack having a plate adapted to be inclosed by said body portions, means pivoted on said supporting plate for retaining cigarettes thereon, levers carried by said supporting plate engaging said body portions, and springs pressing against said levers and retaining means and normally holding the supporting rack centrally between the body portions.

7. In a case of the characte described, hinged body portions adapted tr close together and open apart, a hinged supporting rack having a plate adapted to be inclosed by said body portions, hinged arms on said supporting plate for retaining cigarettes thereon, levers carried by said supportir plate engaging the body portions, and springs pressing against said levers and retaining. arms and normally holding said supporting rack centrally between the body portions and causing the retaining arms to normally engage the cigarettes.

8. In a case of thecharacter described, hinged body portions adapted to close together and open apart, a supporting rack hinged between said body portions and having a plate adapted to lie therebetween, re taining arms on opposite sides of said plate hinged thereto adjacent its hinged end, and springs upon the same hinge pins with said retaining arms each having one end acting upon one of the hinged body portions and its other end engaging one of said retaining arms so as to close said arms against the supporting plate and hold the rack central with respect to the body portion.

9. In a case of the character described, the combination of hinged body portions, a

supporting rack hinged between said body portions and havin a plate, retaining arms on opposite sides 0 said plate hinged thereto adjacent its hinged end, levers upon the same hinge pins with said retaining arms adapted to lie against the bod portions, and springs on'said hinge pins a apted to force said levers and retaining arms apart so as to hold the retaining arms against the supporting plate or cigarettes thereon and also 10 hold the supporting rack central with respect to the body portion.

WILLIAM E. EDWARDS. A Witnesses:

HOWARD P. KING, JANET A. AYERS. 

